Cleveland Browns don't make the grade (Frantz' Rants)

The Browns have reached the bye week of their season, and although the team has actually played nine of their 16 games, it's probably as fair a time as any to pull out the red pen and start handing out mid-term grades:

Quarterbacks: C

Brandon Weeden has taken every snap thus far, with former starter Colt McCoy on permanent clip-board duty. Weeden hasn't lit up the NFL with his performance to date, but he has shown enough to justify the team's faith in him as a first-round pick. Weeden has been spotty, looking ultra-confident at times and using his big arm to stretch defenses with gorgeous deep throws to the likes of Josh Gordon, but looking tentative at others while trying to cut down on turnovers. Weeden declared weeks ago that he would check his ego at the door and be more protective of the football, but in certain instances, such as Sunday's Ravens game, his cautious attitude prevented him from even taking a single shot into the end zone. Weeden has been asked to carry far too much of the load for a rookie quarterback -- he's among the top 5 QB's in the league in pass attempts -- and would be well-served by more balanced offensive play-calling. Grade: C

Running Backs: B-

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Rookie Trent Richardson was brought in to be the focal point of the Browns' offense, but has not been used in that capacity nearly enough in his first nine games. When he has been asked to carry the load, however, he has produced. In four games in which he had 19 carries or more, he turned in three 100+ yard games. The bye week will give Richardson's aching ribs a chance to heal, which should lead to a strong second half.

Montario Hardesty provided a big lift in the team's first win of the season over the Bengals, but hasn't had many opportunities since. Chris Ogbonnaya has made some plays out of the backfield on third down, but also cost his team a touchdown by lining up illegally against the Ravens.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C

The most maligned unit in the organization is better than it was a year ago, but a familiar story is unfolding nonetheless. Once again, the Browns' receivers are having a difficult time catching the football. Going into the first-half finale against Baltimore, the Browns were tied for the league lead in dropped passes. Some of the drops have cost Brandon Weeden certain touchdowns that would drastically help his quarterback rating, and others have literally cost the team victories.

Greg Little was the primary culprit early, but he has surprisingly cut down on the mistakes and performed much more consistently while being targeted fewer times in the last four games.

Josh Gordon has emerged as a true game-breaker, leading the league in yards per catch, but he was responsible for the fourth quarter drop that would likely have beaten the Colts three weeks ago. He is also still learning the nuances of the Browns' offense and must improve his route-running.

Travis Benjamin and Josh Cribbs have done some nice things in more limited opportunities, while Josh Cooper has come on as a nice security blanket for Weeden. Mo Massaquoi started the season nicely before being derailed by a multitude of injuries.

Ben Watson is third on the team in receptions, while Jordan Cameron has shown great potential for production in spurts.

Offensive Line: B+

Joe Thomas and Alex Mack have been as solid as advertised, while guards Shaun Luvauo, Jason Pinkston, and John Greco have improved steadily. The name of rookie right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has rarely been called all season, neither for sacks allowed or holding penalties, which means he's having an outstanding freshman season. Weeden has been given decent protection for the most part, but the run-blocking could improve in the second half, allowing Richardson to truly realize his immense potential.

Defensive Line: D+

The absence of DT Phil Taylor certainly hurt this unit early on, but Ahtyba Rubin has gotten help from rookies Billy Winn and John Hughes. Winn has been the far superior player through nine games. DE Jabaal Sheard was a major force as a rookie, but has all but disappeared in his sophomore season, with just 1.5 sacks to date. Free agent pickup Frostee Rucker has been average, but veteran Juqua Parker has helped, ranking second on the team with 2.5 sacks. The Browns are 26th in rushing yards allowed.

Linebackers: C+

Injuries ravaged this unit from the beginning, as veterans Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita are both done for the season, with young backers Craig Robertson and James Michael Johnson stepping in. Both have made some plays in the early going, with Robertson ranking third on the team with 50 tackles. ILB D'Qwell Jackson has been his relentless self, leading the club with 69 total tackles and three sacks.

Defensive Backs: D

The absence of Joe Haden for four games was felt deeply by this unit, especially in the team's first loss to the Ravens and Week 5 loss to the Giants. Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin tortured Buster Skrine and Dmitri Patterson in Haden's absence during Baltimore's 23-16 win over the Browns, and Victor Cruz ran wild and free, catching a career-high 3 TD passes one week later. Injuries slowed T.J. Ward, but the Browns' safety is still tied with Robertson for third on the club with 50 tackles. Usama Young and Sheldon Brown have been steady, and at times made big plays, but the secondary as a whole has much work to do. The Browns rank 23rd in the NFL in passing yards allowed.

Coaches: D-

It's entirely possible that Haslam is regretting his public commitment to not make any personnel moves until after the season, because the temptation to send Pat Shurmur on his way during the bye week must be enormous. Clock mismanagement, sideline disarray leading to late play calls, inability to manage 3rd-and-1's on a regular basis, gambling on fourth down at the wrong times ... there's a laundry list of mistakes Shurmur has had to answer for through nine games. His next seven may be his last.